


I’ll be your umbrella when you just can’t stand the rain

by Vsegda



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Injury Recovery, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:14:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 20,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27530587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vsegda/pseuds/Vsegda
Summary: The war is over, finally over. How will hermione ever get over what happened during the war. Will Fred recover and who will help our war hero’s lives return to Normal. If living in the wizarding world could ever be called normal.
Relationships: Angelina Johnson/George Weasley, Harry Potter/ Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Fred Weasley, Luna Lovegood/Ron Weasley
Comments: 9
Kudos: 48





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from Lady A song - can’t stand the rain. 
> 
> First fic ever posted on the archive and the first fic written for this fandom. Also haven’t written a fan fic in about three years hope this is okay.

It was over. She couldn’t believe it. She didn’t know how to feel. The war, was over. The war that had been raging for the past seven years was over. Her best friend was alive, he had just defeated the dark lord, he had fore filled the prophecy.

As he turned to face her and Ron who was just behind her she finally released a breath, a breath she didn’t realise she had been holding. Her shoulders sagged with a release of tension and tears threatened to spill down her face. And suddenly the battle that at times had felt was between the three teenagers and the whole world came to a close, members of the order were attempting to capture death eaters before they escaped after their master fell and young students, students to young to have witnessed the nights losses were hollering and whooping and making there way over towards Harry, but not before he was enveloped in a crowd of red hair belonging to the Weasley family.

It was too much, too many people, too many people touching her, surrounding her she needed to move to get away. She couldn’t breathe, she needed to escape the arms caging her it felt like she was being immobilised again the only difference from the night at Malfoy manor being the lack of shooting and agonising pain. She headed for furthest corner of the great hall away from the crowds congratulating Harry. Towards where her breakfast seat at the Gryffindor table once was automatically finding her place in the once breathtaking room. As she finally focused on what was happening around her she noticed a flash of red hair lying on the floor where her house table had once stood and a slim red headed figure leaning over the body.

Fred and George. Oh god she thought she was now finally registering what was in front of her. The two people who had managed to bring laughter and life to the darkening world around her. Slowly she slid herself to the ground next to Fred and across from George. As Hermione leaned across Fred’s lifeless and oddly still body ( he had always been shuffling or moving she thought) towards George’s hand that was on Fred’s shoulder she felt smallest movement of air across her hand, not daring to get George’s hopes up she rested her hand on Fred’s other shoulder a mission in mind, find a pulse. She pressed her fingers firmly into the pulse point in Fred’s neck and ... there it was his pulse faint and getting slower but it was there.

Immediately she sprung into action a quick glance around showed no sign of a healer or Madame Pomfrey, she pushed George off Fred, screamed at him “get a healer” as she began muggle CPR. George looked at her stunned as she began pounding on his twins chest “get help”she screamed at him “he’s alive ... just barely, just get help” a stunned George was suddenly in motion, like someone had suddenly pressed play. Hermione continued counting her chest compressions and breathing for Fred for what Felt like an eternity when george finally returned with two healers ; a small elderly gentleman and tall broad woman who looked to be in her mid thirties. The two healers moved swiftly and carefully around hermione and in such synchronisation that it was evident they had worked together for a long time. The woman knelt on the cold flagstone floor next to hermione and Fred she placed her large strong hand on the side of Fred’s neck and checked for a pulse she gave a barely noticeable nod and the smaller of the two healers, waved his wand, a spell immediately washed over Fred and his body began taking deep magically controlled breaths.

The female healer put her arm around Hermione and slowly moved her back from Fred who’s hand hermione now grasped firmly. The healer whispered to her how well she had done and Hermione finally looked up into the eyes of the magical family that had cared for her since she was eleven. It was evident that Mr Weasley was barely holding a sobbing Mrs Weasley back from throwing herself over the small healer and onto the floor next to her son. The small man finally turned slightly so that he could address the family and Hermione who was still clutching on to Fred’s hand.  
“We need to get him to St Mungos immediately to assess his injuries, you may follow but will need to wait until we have him stable before you can see him”’

Percy standing behind Arthur heaved with a loud sob that he must have been trying to hold in as he followed his family towards the headteachers office where they were to Floo to St Mungos from. As the mediwitch stood she placed an arm on Hermione’s shoulder  
“come on love, you’ve done a great job but let’s get him to the hospital”  
as the healer began to levitate Fred, Hermione began to stand. She slowly began to make her way down the corridor from the great hall George in step with her the whole way. As they finally made it to the place where the statue that hid the headmasters office and quarters Hermione slowly began to feel drained, just adrenaline wearing off she thought to herself as she ascended the stairs. The Weasley family went first through the Floo followed by the female healer and Fred finally when it was just Hermione George and the small healer left the small man said “go on ahead I will need to bring more casualties with me”. Hermione glanced at George who glanced back they both gave a small barely there smile and both stepped towards the Floo, more shuffled in Hermione’s case. As George grabbed a handful of Floo powder Hermione felt a wave of pain go through her body and the world went black.


	2. Hermione

When George turned around in the fireplace to ask Hermione to step into the fire grate beside him, he witnessed the girl he thought of like a sister crumple in on her now small and unhealthily slender frame.  
“Hermione” he cried, Floo powder covering the office floor.  
The older healer turned on his heel seeing the girl crumple and rushed to their aid. He waved his wand in the air, shook his head and turned to George  
“You had better go and let them know on the other end I’m bringing your friend and ask them to get me an emergency team together now”  
“Will she be okay” George whispered  
“I don’t know yet son, now hurry on over she needs to be seen immediately”

George stumbled out of the fire place into St Mungos shouting “help” he was met by the staring eyes of his family before the waiting room of families and staff startled into action running towards him  
“The healer needs an emergency team of healers he’s bringing Hermione NOW” he managed to shout breathlessly and quickly.  
Mrs Weasley, Ron, Harry and Ginny stepped towards him, his mother placing a comforting arm on his shoulder  
“What happened is she okay”  
“I don’t know mum she collapsed as we were leaving” just as George finished his sentence the healer stepped through the Floo levitating a pale Hermione.

“What happened” Mrs Weasley cried rushing towards the healer.  
“She collapsed, it appears that her body has been under so much stress and pain that it’s put itself into a coma for protection”  
As he got to the end of the sentence a team of medi-witches surrounded Hermione’s unconscious form and rushed her down the same corridor they had rushed Fred down moments earlier.  
The healer stepped forward and addressed the gathering Weasleys and Harry.  
“ I will go and check on them both and you may visit, but only one or two at a time when they are stable”

Hours passed and Mrs Weasley and George alternated between bouncing their knees whilst staring down the corridor towards the rooms where Fred and Hermione had been taken, and pacing the waiting room. After four and a half hours the healer appeared.  
“They’re stable, but before you rush and see them you should know that both of them have sustained a great number of injuries. Mr Weasley has been places into a magically induced coma to keep him pain free while we try to heal his injury’s as fast as we can. Miss Granger has sustained a large amount of internal injuries and some serious magical damage and we will be keeping her in a magically induced coma also until we have managed to do the most painful healing. Now please go ahead and see them, but only two at a time”

Mrs Weasley turned to George “you and I will go to Freddie first and Dad and Harry can go to Hermione first, we will figure the rest out after that” she eyed the rest of her family as she said this.

George rushed passed his mother and headed down the corridor glancing through each doorway however before he spotted his twin his eyes fell on the bushy brown hair of the witch who had saved his brothers life. Not even thinking about his parents and Harry following him down he felt compelled to go to her side, he darted from the corridor into Hermione’s room, glanced at the medi-witch writing charts leaned over her unconscious form, placed a tender kiss on her temple squeezed her hand and whispered an almost silent “Thank you”.


	3. Chapter 3

After George had thanked Hermione he bolted out of her hospital room and straight to the side of his unconscious twin, his hand slipping into Fred’s easily as he settled himself into the chair beside the hospital bed. His mother the mirror image on the opposite side of Fred. As soon as she had physical contact with her son Molly was suddenly unable hold back the emotions of the battle. George looked at his brother and moved his chair around the end of the bed to be next to his mother, the exhaustion of the final battle suddenly hitting him. He wrapped his long arm around his small mother’s shoulders and slipped his hand back into Fred’s which his mother had relinquished to try and attempt to dry her tears.

“Mum, it’s okay we’re all okay, we’re all still here and it’s over, it’s finally over” George whispered this mantra to his mother unsure as to wether he was telling her or himself the statement. Tears were rolling down George and Mrs Weasleys faces, George turned his chair towards his mother when she seemed to be breathing normally again and let her wrap her arms around him and hold him like he hadn’t been held since being a small boy. Sobs then began to wrack George’s body before he finally fell into a restless slumber against his mothers bosom.

Arthur’s head appeared around the door frame, his ever present optimistic smile still there but wavering slightly.  
“How are we all doing in here” Arthur began before noticing his fitfully sleeping son, he lowered his voice and crouched down next to his wife “they want us to go soon so that they can start their night shift and clean them both up and change them into comfier clothes, they’ve also given me some dreamless sleep potion for the rest of us so we can all get some rest, I don’t think they will be getting Harry away from Hermione anytime soon though” he glanced down at George smoothed his hair off his forehead like he had every night when the twins were young and placed a kiss on the centre of his forehead he squeezed Molly’s shoulder before repeating the action to Fred.

“ I’m going to see if they can conjure up a bed for Georgie, i think he should stay with Fred and well I don’t think we could get him to leave him either” Molly nodded her head but didn’t move much so as not to wake a sleeping George. Soon after Arthur and a healer appeared , he conjured a bed for George beside Fred’s, close enough that George could still hold Fred’s hand whilst lying down. the healer left and Molly and Arthur gently woke George. “Georgie” molly whispered “wake up, you can stay here with Freddie but let’s get you into the bed”  
George opened his eyes, awake and looking around the hospital room but not really seeing. George allowed his father to help him to sit up away from his mother and hoist him up from the chair then guide him toward the empty bed. Arthur sat George down, bent to the ground and removed his sons shoes before guiding him to lie down, pulled the blanket up over his shoulder, reached over and placed his hand back around Fred’s. By now George was sleeping, Arthur repeated his earlier action and kissed both the twins on the forehead as molly followed him and did the same.

Arthur and Molly stepped back holding each other in the door way to Fred’s hospital room, Molly whispered to Arthur through her tears and her sobs “we will get them through this won’t we”  
“Of course Molly, shhhh of course we will but they’ve got each other and the rest of the family we will get them all through this” Arthur squeezed Molly and guided her towards Hermione’s room.

They stopped in the doorway and saw that Ginny had crept down the corridor to be with Harry. She was now curled up on his knee tucked under his chin sleeping but with painful expressions crossing her face, Harry has got one arm around Ginny tightly, glasses askew sleeping fitfully with one arm extended and fingers tangled with Hermione’s. Arthur caught the eye of the healer heading down the corridor, she glanced into the room and then assisted to help conjure a bed big enough for Harry.

Molly made her way towards her sleeping daughter and the boy and girl she thought of as her own. She spoke quietly “Ginny, wake up, Ginny it’s mum” Ginny opened her eyes “come on love it’s time to go home”  
“Mum I’m staying here with Harry”  
“Gin they are only letting one person stay with Hermione and me and Dad want you at home, you can come as soon as you wake tomorrow”  
“Mum” Ginny complained  
“Ginerva Weasley do not make me use my stern voice your coming home with us and you will come back tomorrow, now up you get so I can get Harry into bed”  
“Okay” Ginny said standing gently from Harry’s lap.

When Ginny moved to the end of Hermione’s bed Molly lent over removed the dirty twisted glasses from Harry’s face, his wand from his side and gently squeezed his hand.  
“Harry honey, it’s Molly wake up sweetie” Harry started awake and grasped around for his wand Molly grasped his hands “shhh shhh shhh Harry your safe, it’s over, it’s all over” Harry seemed to register where he was, who was talking to him and what they were saying. Within seconds he was throwing himself into Molly’s arms, shaking and sobbing uncontrollably. Arthur steered Ginny out of the room and into his arms as she too finally let her exhaustion and emotions out into her fathers chest.

Molly eased herself and Harry onto the floor of Hermione’s hospital room and held the boy she thought of as a son as close to her as she could, pouring all of the love she felt for him into the action. While he sobbed she whispered things to him “ shhhh it’s over your safe, I’ve got you. You can come home now. We’re so so proud of you. Your mum and dad and Sirius would be so proud of you. We love you so much Harry we’re so glad your safe.” Molly continued the mantra of making Harry feel safe and loved until he sobbed himself into an exhausted sleep against her chest. When he had done this Molly used the sleeve of her magically knitted cardigan to wipe away the mess of snot and tears from Harry’s face, she planted a kiss atop his messy hair that was just like his fathers and looked around to see Arthur standing in the doorway. They shared a sad smile before Arthur helped Molly to magically move Harry into the bed that had been conjured for him, once he was there and safely tucked in hand returned to Hermione’s the two kissed each teenager on there forehead before standing back turning out the lights and heading for the rest of their family, the healers having instructors to contact them if anything happened. 

As they walked back towards the waiting room Arthur turned to Molly, “the rest of the kids have gone back to the burrow. Charlie came through the floo as soon as McGonagall let him know what had happened. When he got here Ginny was falling asleep against Bill with Ron holding her hand , Fleur was also sleeping on Bills other side. Charlie came down the corridor saw you with Harry and me watching over Fred and George and told me he would get the others home. Last I saw Ron and Percy we’re following him and Bill down the corridor to the floo. Bill was carrying Fleur and Charlie had Ginny in his arms just like when she was little.” Arthur finished this statement with a sad smile.

Stepping into the floo Arthur squeezed Mollys hand “Try not to worry Molly wobbles we will get them through this.” Throwing down the floo powder and clearly stating “The burrow”; the corridor of St Mungos disappeared from sight and gave way to the cosy yet slightly dusty kitchen of the burrow with the other Weasley siblings gathered around the long table along with Fleur cradling mugs of tea. Two steaming mugs sat at the heads of the table waiting for their parents.


	4. Chapter 4

After the Weasleys has sat and shared their cups of tea and meaningless quiet conversations Arthur stood up “alright Weasleys, off to bed. The healers have given us some dreamless sleep potion if anyone wants any.” All of his children declined and with a flick of his wand the dishes shot off to the sink and began washing themselves “that means you as well Mrs Weasley”. They all took their time using the one family bathroom and changing into clothes that could be found in the house and making there way to their respective bedrooms. By the time everyone had shouted good night and their bedroom doors were closed it was heading towards 1 o’clock in the morning. 

At around ten past two in the morning Molly awoke from her restless sleep to find Ginny stood at the foot of her bed, wrapped in her bedspread clutching a pillow to her chest with tears streaming down her freckled face. “Mum can I get in I can’t sleep.” Ginny seemed to think about what she had said and went to turn around.   
“Ginny get in and get comfy honey” Molly said quickly elbowing Arthur “Arthur dear I think you’d better enlarge the bed Ginny can’t sleep” Arthur obliged his wife, enlarged the bed and smiled at his daughter lying with his wife letting her mother stroke her hair as she drifted off. Arthur sat up, took out his book about muggle motorcycles (a gift from Sirius), placed his reading glasses on his face and began reading by wand light. 

About half an hour passed before Arthur heard footsteps on the landing, the person outside the door shuffling from foot to foot , Arthur waved his wand to gently open the bedroom door. Outside the door was Ron a similar state to Ginny but shaking rather than crying. “Come on my boy” Arthur says quietly waving his wand and enlarging the bed again. “No one wants to sleep alone on nights like these, make yourself comfy” Ron smiled sheepishly at his father “thanks dad, it’s too quiet not having Harry talking in his sleep or Hermione snuffling” at the mention of his friends Ron’s face paled and he sat on the edge of the bed next to his father, Arthur placed his book down and squeezed Ron’s shoulder. “Lie down Ron try and get some sleep, we will go and see them tomorrow “ Ron nodded and lay down beside his father who picked up his book and carried on reading. 

Soon after Ron had fallen asleep and began snoring, Percy and Charlie appeared in the bedroom doorway Percy sobbing quietly into Charlie’s shoulder, Charlie led his younger brother into their parents bedroom and tucked him into the bottom of the bed after his father had expanded the bed further. Minutes later Charlie came back to the room carrying his own blanket and pillow before settling himself comfortably next to Percy. Arthur watched the elder brothers who had snuck into their parents room until they both fell asleep. Arthur was about to put his book down when a groggy Bill appeared in the shadows on the landing. “Is everyone okay dad I heard them all moving about and when no one came back upstairs ... well I couldn’t go back to sleep”   
Arthur smiled at his eldest son and the concern about his siblings on his face. “They’re okay Bill, well as okay as we can all be after today” Arthur glanced at the clock “well yesterday, now I suppose. I don’t think any of them wanted to be alone. Why don’t you head back up to Fleur ay son”  
“Dad I think I’m going to stay with them if that’s okay, Fleur has had some dreamless sleep and is sleeping peacefully.”  
“Of course, you’ll be needing a blanket and a pillow though” Arthur waved his wand and a blanket and pillow came from Ginny’s bedroom across the hall. Arthur waved his wand and expanded the bed again as Bill shrugged the blanket around his shoulders and curled up with his siblings. Arthur then placed his book down, took his glasses off and closed his eyes. 

As the sunrise filtered in to Bills old bedroom at the burrow Fleur awoke to find Bill missing from the bed. The house was silent, an unusual occurrence for the burrow. Fleur pulled on a jumper of Bills from the set of draws at the bedside, pleased to see it was a jumper made by Mrs Weasley. 

As Fleur padded softly down the stairs she noticed all of the bedroom doors open, but every bed she saw was vacant of the Weasley it should of held. As she finally arrived at the bottom most landing before the ground floor Fleur noticed her in-laws bedroom door was open, as she walked past she looked in. The sight that met her bought a smile to her face but tears to her eyes as she saw the family all sprawled out asleep,shocks of red hair sticking up from pillows and soft snores emanating from most of the figures. Fleur moved from the doorway not wanting to disturb her family and began to make her way downstairs. 

When reaching the kitchen Fleur glanced at the clock and realising that it was almost eight o’clock set about boiling the kettle and making breakfast for the sleeping family above her. 

Slowly as the smells of cooking reached their noses the Weasley family began to stir, Ginny and the boys waking and sitting up first glancing around the enlarged bed at each other. Bill was the first to break the silence.   
“Well I think the last time dad had to extend the bed for us all to sleep in here was the night you were born Gin”   
They all smiled and began to sit up in the spaces they were lying in. As all the children moved slowly Mr and Mrs Weasley began to wake up. Just as Mr Weasley was about to suggest breakfast Fleur stepped into the room levitating a tray with seven steaming mugs on “ahh I see you av now all woken up, I av made you all a cup of tea and breakfast is on zee table”   
Mrs Weasley looked at her daughter in law shocked. Bill pulled Fleur onto his lap at the end of the bed when she has distributed the mugs of tea “thank you dear”   
“Zat is okay. I didn’t want to wake you all but new we would all need to ed to ze hospital soon and I didn’t want your mum to av to worry about your breakfasts. I am going to get dressed now. Everything is under a warming charm on zee table” with that Fleur left the bedroom and headed upstairs and the rest of the Weasley family began getting up slowly to go and change and then head downstairs for breakfast. 

Once dressed and downstairs they all sat down for breakfast. Molly had hugged and kissed her daughter-in-law on the cheek as she had arrived downstairs to see her cleaning up after the family as they sat around the table. “Thank you dear, you didn’t have to do that”   
“Molly it is what family do non? “ Fleur asked and then continued to clean. Molly and Arthur hugged her and prepared to be the first to head back to the hospital.   
The rest of the family were to follow when they were ready.


	5. Chapter 5

Mr and Mrs Weasley stepped through the floo to see Harry walking towards the desk at the top of the corridor. Mrs Weasley rushed towards him, “Harry, is everything alright sweetheart”   
Harry was startled at hearing Mrs Weasleys voice but turned round to meet her and hug her as she approached.   
“It’s fine Mrs Weasley, they’re starting to bring more and more people through from Hogwarts now people are more stable, but they haven’t got enough rooms for everyone.” Harry added “good morning Mr Weasley” after letting go of the small woman and stepping back.   
“I was thinking, I’m not sure how you would feel about it ,but I was thinking of asking them to put Hermione and Fred together so that they could still be separate from a ward but we could free up a room for someone else as well”   
Mrs Weasley looked at Harry and placed her hands upon his shoulders.   
“Harry I think that’s a great idea, let’s see what the healers say”   
“Molly” Arthur interrupted “I’m going to pop in and check on Hermione and the twins while you find the healers and talk to them” Arthur kissed Molly on the cheek and then patted Harry’s shoulder as he passed. 

Arthur stepped into Hermione’s room, the young girl was decidedly less dusty and dirty than the day before. However as Arthur got closer to her he realised that the layers of clothes and battle injury’s had hidden the toll the past year had put on her body. He sat himself in the chair next to the bed and pulled it closer before pulling Hermione’s hand into his. The girl lying on the bed in front of him seemed to be a shell of the strong young woman that had grown up in front of his eyes. Bill had told him of the way she had arrived at shell cottage but seeing the brutal scarring on her left arm of that heinous slur word really shook Arthur to the core. The sleeping girl who looked so much younger than her eighteen years while sleeping had been through so much. So much none of his children should have ever had to go through. He stood and brushed her bushy hair away from her forehead before heading next door to check in on Fred and George. 

Molly and Harry sat down with the healer in charge of the emergency floor. Within twenty five minutes Harry had voiced his opinion on moving Hermione and Fred into a room together. The healer agreed and also suggested that they move them to a quieter floor so that when the eventual flood of people visiting did happen that Hermione , Fred and the visiting Harry plus any other high profile visitors would have the up most security and privacy. Harry agreed to this and offered to fund any expensive treatment that the two needed plus have a donation towards the people being treated after fighting in the battle at Hogwarts. Mrs Weasley sat back and let Harry take charge offering supportive nods whenever Harry looked unsure and also trying to insist that he not pay for any of Fred’s treatments to which Harry replied “that’s what you do for family, especially siblings” earning a teary smile from Molly. At the end of the meeting it had been decided that Hermione and Fred would be moved to a private small ward that had been unused for some time as it was the quarantine ward only used for serious magical pandemics like the dragon pox outbreaks. 

Harry and Mrs Weasley head through the hospital Harry keeping his head down not wanting to hear another thank you from a suffering family. Mrs Weasley keeping her hand on his arm or shoulder in support and her steely gaze daring anyone to come near him. When they arrived at Fred’s room the healer was just filling Mr Weasley in on Fred’s condition.   
“He’s stable Sir, which is fantastic news, however he is not out of the woods yet, from you other son and Harry’s story I have been told a wall collapsed on him?” Mr Weasley nodded in agreement.   
“Well it looks like it has caused severe damage to his spinal cord, we are trying to repair it with positions but slowly is the only method for this to work and even then if it does he is going to be on a lot of pain and is going to have to learn how to walk again” Mr Weasley nodded and thanked the healer before turning and seeing Mrs Weasley and Harry in the door. Arthur Hugged a pale Molly to his chest “if anyone can get through this Molly it will be Fred. He’s never been one to do things in halves. I’ve sent a Patronus to the rest of them telling them to stay home as there is no change in their conditions. Bill and Charlie have been by and tried to collect George but he’s having non of it, he is adamant that he is staying here, he’s just gone to get a coffee” 

Harry and Mrs Weasley explained where they were moving Fred and Hermione too and that the new ward would have a team of staff and a private floo so that the family could have their privacy. Mr Weasley agreed that this was probably the best for them all.   
“Harry, son I need to ask you do you know where the safe house that Hermione was moving her parents to is. Only I think they should at least know that she’s here.”   
At Mr Weasleys question Harry went grey. It was never meant to happen like this, she was meant to sort it out at the end of the war. Harry knew he needed to tell Mr and Mrs Weasley about her parents and that they should probably inform the minister for magic- Kingsley Shacklebolt. However Harry felt as though he was betraying his best friend. 

“I think we should all sit down and the call the minister for magic before I tell you where they are, he will need to know and we need to keep Hermione safe”   
“Okay Harry. Arthur send a Patronus to Kingsley, tell him to meet us on the quarantine ward we can use the nurses office to talk while the healers bring Hermione and Fred through and get them comfy” 

Wishing Hermione could tell them herself and missing the guiding light that was his best friends presence Harry settled himself into a chair between Molly and Arthur and began to tell Kingsley the story of Wendell and Monica Wilkins, living peacefully in a suburb just outside Melbourne Australia and how they came to be there. When Harry got to the end of the story Kingsley assured Harry that he had done the right thing letting him know about Hermione’s actions and the reasonings behind her decision to break the law. Kingsley assured Harry and the Weasleys that she was safe and would not be prosecuted, he would see to this himself. With many thanks and friendly hugs Kingsley strode out of the Ward and back towards the ministry. 

As Harry let out a deep sigh and went to head to Hermione’s bedside on the new ward the doors to the ward banged open and in walked a furious witch looking tired and bedraggled followed by non other than Ginny and Charlie Weasley. The witch in question was Angelina Johnson, Ginny walked serenely over to her mothers side a drastic difference to Angelina. “Charlie told me George wouldn’t come home so I called reinforcements” she said with a small smile. Charlie smirked “honestly I just wanted to meet the formidable witch that can put one of those toe rags in their place”   
Mr and Mrs Weasley watched in shock as Angelina stormed over to George and clipped him around his good ear.   
“GEORGE FABIAN WEASLEY” George jumped into action   
“Angie love what’s the matter what have I done”   
“What’s this i hear about you not going home. No I’m talking you are listening and don’t interrupt me again. Fred would not want to see you moping around here. He would like you to visit but not live here for Christ’s sake. You need to go home and get yourself better so that when he wakes up you can help him get better. Now up you get say your goodbyes to Freddie and then I am personally taking you back home to make sure you go , and I’m staying until your asleep, so don’t even think about trying to sneak back here; the healers will contact your mum and dad immediately if anything changes. Now shift yourself”   
Angelina linked the shocked George’s arm and smiled at Mrs Weasley when she passed  
“nice to see you again Mr and Mrs Weasley”  
“Angelina dear it’s lovely to see you, your welcome to stay in Freddie’s bed tonight honey. George no locked doors! and both of you help yourself to anything you need”   
Mrs Weasley shouted after the pair Angelina turned and smiled at the witch “thanks Mrs Weasley I’ll make sure he gets something to eat”  
Molly rounded on a sniggering Charlie “honestly mum, no locked doors. I don’t think while his twin is lying in a hospital bed he’s going to be trying to get his leg over”   
“Charles Weasley..” Molly admonished.   
At this point Ginny and Harry began laughing too causing both the Weasley parents to titter also. After the small moment of joy Arthur linked Ginny’s arm and Charlie linked his mothers before turning to head to the floo.

Harry started to wander back towards Hermione only to turn when he heard a cough and be greeted by a stern gaze directed at him from his own fiery witch hands rising to her hips “Harry James potter” Ginny said with a smile “don’t you make me clip you round the ear hole as well. You are coming home, you need to sleep in a bed have a home cooked Molly Weasley meal and most importantly, a shower you stink. Hermione will be here tomorrow and she would want you to get some rest come on handsome... let’s get you home” Ginny held out her hand which Harry took with a smile before placing a kiss on her temple.   
“Okay I’m coming” he leaned into Ginny’s side as she led him down the corridor.   
“Hey Gin, do I really smell that bad”  
“Yeah Potter, you stink” she said as she pulled him into the floo and stated their destination their giggles disappearing with the pair.


	6. Chapter 6

The next two weeks passed in a similar fashion on the quarantine ward of St Mungos the same team of twenty healers rotated their shifts and kept Fred and Hermione stable. The Weasleys visited everyday, George Harry and Ron most frequently. When Ron was there he didn’t let go of Hermione’s hand and was reluctant to leave the hospital at all. 

The only surprise visitor, well the capacity in which they visited was more of a surprise, well again only to Harry was Angelina Johnson. The last Harry knew and could remember was Fred taking Angelina to the ball and he was sure it was Fred he had caught in a deserted corridor snogging his ex quidditch captain. When Harry discusses these thoughts with Ginny, she laughed and laughed, Harry had never been very good at telling the twins apart. It was George and Angelina he had caught in a romantic embrace more than once and it was Fred who had taken Angelina to the ball; but only because she thought it was George asking her and when Angelina has realised her mistake Fred had laughed with one of his oldest friends and pushed her into his grateful twins arms. George was convinced his mother didn’t know about him seeing Angelina, but it turned out his mother knew more than she let on. And George who had always been very close to his little sister had confided in his love for the beautiful witch after a few to many fire whiskeys the night after Bills wedding. 

The constant visitors kept up for just over two weeks. Two or three people would visit at a time and the rest of the family were back and forth between Hogwarts to help Minerva with the rebuilding, repairs and getting ready for funerals. After the beginning of the third week Harry’s visits were lessening due to his attendance at so many funerals and Ginny and Ron went with him for support. During one of George’s late evening visits Angelina was absent due to attending a funeral George noticed a change in Hermione’s breathing and facial expressions standing up and making his way over to the bed he was there just in time to see her open her eyes and her mouth before she began screaming and thrashing about on the bed trying to get rid of the bed sheets and clawing at the scarring on her arms. 

As soon as this happened the healers rushed in cast a charm and administered a potion to calm Hermione down. Hermione curled into a ball facing Fred’s bed arms wrapped around her knees, eyes open but not seeing tears quietly streaming down her face. 

George quietly made his way over to Hermione’s bedside once the healers had left the room and assured him that she would be alright but would have to stay a few more days for tests and observations. George asked that they sent a patronus to his family. George pulled up the chair stroked Hermione’s hair from her face and with a small smile placed his hand in hers. “Alright granger” he said trying not to convey how different the small frail girl in the bed appeared to be from the strong feisty witch he had come to know.   
“Not really George” she managed to croak out as the sobs took over. George shushed the girl and held her hand until exhaustion won out and she drifted off into sleep once more. Unwilling to disturb Hermione from her first non magically induced sleep in weeks George waved his wand turned off the lights and summoned the spare quilt that his mother had left as a home comfort. George drifted off to sleep in the chair. 

About three hours later in the quiet of the ward Fred Weasley took a painful breath as his eyes flicked open. He assessed his surroundings and found his twin sleeping in the chair next to his bed. After smiling at George, Fred realised that Hermione Granger was in the bed next to his and holding his twins hand.   
“Oi Georgie” Fred croaked, George startled awake and released his hand gently from Hermione’s now relaxed hand making eye contact with Fred a smile bursting onto his face.   
“Georgie, isn’t it meant to be my bedside your holding vigil at” Fred whispered with a smirk.


	7. Chapter 7

George was shocked by Fred’s voice. He smiled put a finger to his lips to indicate quiet and left the room to alert the healers of his brothers awakening.

In the days that followed Fred and Hermione were briefed on their conditions and given multiple potions to take daily. Hermione was warned about the pain that would be an ever-present part of her life due to the torture she had withstood. Fred was sent home to be on bed rest. He could stand and transfer to a wheelchair for meals and to get to the bathroom but other than that he was to await the healers go ahead to beginning to walk again.  
Harry and Ron were spending their time helping Kingsley and the aurors round up the last of the death eaters and Bill, Fleur, Charlie, and Percy were helping McGonagall and the professors with Hogwarts repairs. Mr Weasley of course was helping with both tasks along with helping Kingsley rebuild the ministry. This left Ginny, George, Angelina, and Mrs Weasley to help collect Fred and Hermione and set them up at home. 

Fred was set up in his and Georges old room and Hermione across the hall sharing with Ginny as per usual.

Hermione avoided large gatherings of the Weasleys and struggled to even stay in the same room as them from dinners. Her first attempt at lunch had led to a panic attack so rough it had taken her three days to recover from the exhaustion. After her first family dinner she had taken to eating leftovers from a tray in her room kindly delivered by Ginny or George and Angelina mainly. Harry and Ron occasionally popped into see her together as they were rarely at home. Hermione was extremely thankful that Harry had yet to leave her alone with Ron she wasn’t sure that she was quite ready for that. Wasn’t ready for the conversation to come, about their relationship, about their kiss. But the more time she had to the think the more she cringed about their kiss, it was adrenaline fuelled and desperate. She wasn’t sure she was going to live. She wasn’t sure he was going to live and the more and more she thought about him the angrier she got. 

When he popped in for a visit with Harry and sat and held her hand, like he had a right too she seethed. After his first visit and he had done this she had shared a look with Harry who had happily smiled back, back to his usual oblivious self. The next time he visited she had pulled her hand from his grasp immediately, he didn’t seem happy with this but when he got up to leave the room and turned to kiss her full on the lips she turned her face so that he caught her cheek Ron looked sand and harry hadn’t noticed, Ginny just coming through the door caught it and made eye contact with Hermione over Ron’s shoulder. Evidently, she would be talking about this sooner rather than later but not with Ron but with Ginny. 

Later that evening Ginny made a point of staying in the room with Hermione and settling into her own bed which she had been sneaking out of to go and stay with Harry. Hermione had been glad of this occurrence because it meant that she had been able to cast silencing charms to not wake up the whole Weasley household with her nightmares, which were never too far away. Ginny turned to Hermione and waggled her eyebrows in a way that only Ginny could.  
“so Mione, are you going to tell me why you don’t want Ron to kiss you after you both kissed each other during the battle”  
With this sentence Ginny felt the change in the atmosphere of the room and saw the change on her friend’s face. Hermione began breathing shallowly and shaking, Ginny rushed to her best friends’ side only to see her shrink away from her in fear  
“Shit, Mione I didn’t mean anything by it I just wanted to lighten the mood, shit, shit, shit” Ginny looked around the room trying to think of anything that she could possibly do to help “shit, shit, shit” Ginny repeated and ran out of the room to the top of the stairs “guys I need help now” she shouted sounding just like her mother, the next thing she knew George, Angelina and Fred in his wheelchair were on the landing wands drawn, Molly, Arthur and Charlie and Bill were running up the stairs and Harry and Ron were tripping downstairs from their rooms. “It’s Mione” Ginny cried “I can’t get her to breathe we were talking and now she’s not breathing and, and” Ginny broke down in sobs on Harry’s chest. 

Ron rushed into the room and attempted to gather Hermione up in his arms to which she fought back and began screaming “ no, no, no please don’t hurt me ahhhh, please don’t hurt me” Charlie and Bill scooped Ron up under his armpits and moved him to the landing with the rest of the family “Ron she needs space she had a few moments like this when I healed her at shell cottage the only people who stopped them were Fleur and Fred”  
Fleur squeezed her husband’s shoulder and quietly made her way into the girl’s room. Ron looked at his family and then between Bill and Fred. “How did Fred get her to calm down I can’t even remember you visiting shell cottage Fred” Ron asked  
“a mission for the order went wrong, was too injured to get home. I knew I could make it to Bill’s and that him and Fleur would fix me up you and Harry were walking on the beach with Griphook. Fleur was with Hermione and Bill had just popped out for supplies when it started, the screaming and Fleur rushed downstairs saying she couldn’t calm her I went up to help she let me closer than she did fleur and I helped her to relax he shoulders which helped her breathe and then stroked her hair until she slept.”

Just at that moment Fleur made her way onto the landing “she as let me close but I av not been able to calm er I can’t get er breathing to slow down”  
Bill grabbed Fred’s shoulder, “looks like your up, baby brother go and work some Freddie magic”  
Fred blushed “George can you help me get next to the bed so I can sit with her” George just saluted his twin and pushed his wheelchair into the room closing the door behind him he imagined Hermione wouldn’t want an audience for her panic attack. As George pushed his wheelchair Fred waved his wand and made Hermione’s bed bigger so that there was room for him to comfortably stand and transfer to the bed and to not fall off. Hermione just glanced at the twins entry breathing still erratic and shallow. George wheeled Fred’s chair into place and watched as Hermione moved slightly so that his brother could sit and swing his gangly legs onto her bed back against the headboard. When Fred was situated he nodded to George who began to leave as he was turning and closing the door George watched Fred hook his hands under Hermione’s elbows and haul her up the bed to his chest her, took one of her hand placing it on his chest and began to take exaggerated beaths. 

When George had started to leave the room Fred moved Hermione’s head to his shoulder and hand to his chest slowing down his own breathing but exaggerating his own chest movements so she could match his slowly he noticed her breathing slow back to normal he then tipped her chin so she could look him in the eye “Granger, how we doing now”  
“Getting there Fred, I’m sorry you had to come and help”  
“hey no worries I’ve been feeling rather useless of late” he said and gestured to his legs and wheelchair “I’m happy to help, bet your knackered now though, go to sleep, I’ve got you”  
Hermione yawned and protested “your back Fred you can’t be comfy”  
“ah, ah, ah” he said shaking his finger in a sassy no motion “I’ve just had my pain potion so I’m fine, come on get comfy, I will go when you have settled”  
“Thanks Fred, I don’t want to be alone” he nodded and began stroking her hair until her breathing deepened and he felt her relax into him, Fred thought he kind of liked this feeling but looked down at her and remembered Ron and how he felt towards her. When he was sure she was deeply asleep he untangled his arm from her shoulders and transferred back to his chair” out on the landing only Bill, George, Fleur and Ginny remained “she’s flat out guys, go and get yourselves something to eat, I’m going to bed now my pain potions kicking in. Forge, come and help please”.  
“of course, Gred” George replies holding the bedroom door open for his twin.


	8. Chapter 8

George followed Fred into the room and assisted him in getting comfy in his bed before handing him his pain potion and a glass of water.   
“Is she okay now Fred?” George asked his brother sincerely  
“She’s okay for now Georgie, but she’s struggling, which is understandable, she’s been through hell and back.”

A small barely audible knock came on the door   
“Freddie, Georgie can I come in” Fred and George had not heard Ginny’s voice be as small since before she was at Hogwarts   
“yes Gin come on in” George replied 

Ginny entered and closed the door behind her. Her face was tear stained and blotchy. George opened his arms and Ginny bounded over tucking herself under his arm and settled herself next to him on his bed opposite Fred’s.   
“Come on Gin, you going to tell us what’s wrong”  
She tried to keep the tears that were glistening in her eyes from falling but did not manage to succeed.   
“it… it’s… m…my…fault…that…Hermione…h…h…had her panic attack” Ginny choked out the sentence. 

“Gin it’s no one’s fault that Hermione had a panic attack, we have all just fought in a bloody war. These things are going to happen. It is a process, were all going to struggle with things. Somethings we will all never get over. Shit. we were young kids fighting in a war we’ve all seen and done things we shouldn’t have had to and we’ve all lost people we were close to, people that should have been here to see us all grow up. But Gin and listen to me now do not ever and I mean ever blame yourself for anything that comes as an aftermath to this war. The only person to blame is old mouldy shorts and his bloody minions.” Fred finished his statement and took a deep breath.   
Ginny looked in awe of her older brother before she threw herself onto his lap and squeezed him tight only letting go of Fred when she heard him hiss in pain. “Merlin Gin I’m recovering from a bloody wall falling on me and you’re not a tiny little witch either anymore” Fred said with a smile.   
“Well excuse me for needing to thank my brother for making me feel better” Ginny answered with a laugh. 

“Gin what exactly were you and Hermione talking about before she had her panic attack”  
Ginny blushed “ erm, well I may or may not have asked Mione if she was going to tell me about why she wouldn’t let Ron kiss her after they both kissed during the final battle when they were in the chamber of secrets.”   
“oh Gin” George said with a Grin “really, she isn’t letting him kiss her”   
“nope,” Ginny said popping the P on the word “ anytime he tries to hold her hand she forcibly slides her hand away from his and when he tried to give her a peck on the cheek earlier today and she made sure to turn her head and get him to miss”   
“you two are bigger gossips that Charlie and Bill, I swear. Perhaps she just doesn’t want to be to close to anyone after everything that has happened.”   
“Okay Freddie, sure.” Said George a mischievous look spreading across his face. “and her snuggling up in bed with you earlier hasn’t got anything to do with it” Fred went bright red and George managed to laugh while Fred hit him in the face with a pillow.   
Ginny was laughing at the twin’s antics and taking note of Fred’s cheeks glowing crimson. “Freddie?” Ginny asked tentatively “how long have you liked Mione” 

Fred began to splutter “err I don’t know what you’re on about” Ginny looked at him and right there in that moment he knew he would spill the beans.   
“Since she began teasing us in sixth year, especially during the Triwizard tournament. I’ve just not said anything and tried to move on because she’s always been so interested in Ron” Fred said looking at his hands in his lap and ignoring the shock on his twins face.   
“Fred, why didn’t you say anything to me”   
“Because Georgie I knew that you would make fun and I couldn’t do that to her. Especially when she fancies Ron and I really like her. Like really like her George. There has not been a day throughout this bloody war that I have not worried about her. I really had to keep it together when Ron left them and I even tried to stay at Bills after she had gone to sleep so that I could tell him and Harry to leave her with us. She’d already been through to bloody much” and with that the dam broke and Fred started to cry “George you didn’t see her after Malfoy manner, the things she must have been through and I heard everything the Medi-witches said to her. She was so hurt George and she is even more hurt because she came and fought at Hogwarts. They said she’s always going to be in pain because that evil bitch didn’t let up torturing her and she’s that underweight from being on the run and not eating properly they don’t know what permanent damage all of it has done to her.”   
George and Ginny held Fred between them.   
“Freddie” Ginny said placing a kiss to his forehead “I think you need to give yourself credit and let this thing with Hermione happen if it happens. She always thought she was going to end up with Ron, but everything has changed. Worry about getting better and then worry about your love life”  
Fred had drifted off to sleep. George and Ginny made Fred comfy hugged each other and headed downstairs both a bit shaken by what there always smiling brother had just said. Ginny had always thought Hermione was too good for Ron.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning Hermione awoke feeling more refreshed and rested than she had in the last two years. After waking up and noticing that Ginny was missing Hermione decided to get up while the house was quiet and take the time to have a cup of tea and take some time on her own.   
Hermione made her way downstairs and went about making herself a cup of tea the muggle way before taking her coat of the hooks by the door and wrapping up and taking her cup of tea outside. Hermione stood drinking her tea and listening to the sounds of the burrow coming to life; after seeing Mrs Weasley at the Kitchen sink Hermione placed her empty mug on the window sill and waved, she then gestured to the chicken coop and headed to collect the eggs for breakfast. Hermione took pleasure in the mundaneness of the task. Heading back to the burrow Hermione could see that there were more figures in the kitchen, her stomach dropped, what if one of them was Ron, she couldn’t face that conversation just yet. She had decided while standing and watching the garden around the burrow wake up that she needed to sit and decide what she was going to say Ron and sort out her feelings before having that conversation.

Hermione grabbed her mug and pushed open the door to the burrow and entered the kitchen placing the eggs in the collection basket that was by the door and unwrapping her layers before entering the kitchen. Looking around the kitchen she realised that only Mr and Mrs Weasley and Percy were present. Hermione let out a sigh of relief and took the eggs over to the stove to Mrs Weasley placing a kiss on her cheek as she did so earning a lovely smile of the Weasley matriarch. “Good morning sweetie are you feeling better this morning” she asked with a smile in her voice.   
“Much better thank you Molly, I’m so sorry for scaring and worrying you all.”   
“Nonsense, were all going to struggle with things after the war honey, I just want you to know that you can come to me about anything at any time day or night”   
Hermione teared up and threw her arms around Molly feeling indebted to the woman for the motherly love that she had always shown the girl. “Molly thank you” Hermione said voice thick with unshed tears. Molly embraced the young girl the thought of as a daughter and poured all the love that she could into the gesture. Hermione let out a deep breathe and when Molly felt this she smiled and let go of the girl. Hearing the rest of the house making there way downstairs moly decided to give the girl an out of the busy kitchen. “Hermione, would you mind taking Fred his morning brew.” 

Hermione appreciated what Molly was trying to do and nodded taking the cup of steaming tea from her hands and turning to make her way out of the kitchen. As she reached the bottom of the stairs Harry, George, and Ron, made their way to the bottom. She smiled and wished them all a good morning, Ron began to move in for a hug and kiss, Hermione turned her body and presented him her cheek. Ron planted a kiss on a cheek his smile falling from his face “sorry Ron just taking Fred his drink”

Hermione rushed upstairs failing to keep her tears from falling down her face. She made it to Fred and Georges room knocking and trying to place a smile on her face. “Fred I’ve got you a brew can I come in”   
“Mione, of course come on in”   
Hermione entered the room and turned with a forced smile to see Fred watching her.  
“Mione, come and sit down and talk to me” Fred said attentively. Hearing the care in his voice Hermione could not stop the tears from falling. As she settled herself down next to Fred at the lead of the bed.  
“I’m sorry Fred” Hermione said   
“it’s okay Mione but you are giving me a complex I mean every time I see you; you cry. And here I thought I was the handsome twin” this did exactly what Fred wanted, and Hermione began to laugh.   
“it’s not you Fred honestly. It is not you, I feel safe with you. It’s, it’s Ron, I … I… I just don’t know what to do. I think he thinks that were together. We kissed once during the battle, but you know I don’t know if I feel like that about him anymore. I’m different, he’s different, everything is different, and I love him but only as my best friend.   
“right well first you need to breathe, please” Hermione nodded and placed her hand on his chest which surprised Fred, but he began to exaggerate his breathing so that she could follow his breathing. When Hermione had slowed her breathing back to normal Fred threw his arm around her shoulders and tucked her head under his chin. “I think you need to be honest with Ron, you’ve finally been honest with yourself by saying it out loud and the longer you don’t tell him the harder it’s going to be on the both of you”   
Hermione sighed and snuggled into his side she could not remember when they had both got this comfy with each other but these times with Fred were the times when she felt most herself. “yeah Fred your right. Oh, your cup of tea I forgot” Hermione said pointing her wand at the cup of tea and warming it back up handing it to Fred and then snuggling back into his side making his smile. 

The bedroom door banged open and George waltzed into the room levitating two plates of breakfast. “Okay breakfast is served mum said you should stay and have breakfast with Fred Hermione, you know it will be a change so he doesn’t have to look at my ugly mug” George placed the plates of cooked breakfasts on trays on the knees of the two sat on the bed as they separated away from each other and sat up. George smiled at them both gave a cheeky wink and left the room with a shout “Right Fred I’m going to try and get out empire back up and running.” Seeing Fred so comfy with Hermione had made him so happy and seeing the tint of red on both their cheeks when he had winked made him wonder if the bookworm felt more similar to Fred then either of them had realised yet and with a pop he was standing smiling at Angelina beginning to clean the front of the shop.


	10. Chapter 10

After eating breakfast and laughing with Fred Hermione agreed with him that she would speak to Ron after their evening meal. Hermione had taken the plates down after breakfast and made both her and Fred another cup of tea. Heading back upstairs Mrs Weasley shouted to Hermione

“Hermione dear can I catch you just for a moment please?”  
. Hermione turned around and skipped back to Mrs Weasley   
“Of course, what can I do Molly?”

“Well I have got to go for a meeting with Minerva about some of the wards for Hogwarts she needs a few old hands at casting and most of the old order are going to help to repair and upgrade the wards. Arthur is in a meeting with Kingsley and everyone else is really busy but Fred starts his physio tomorrow would you be able to go with him, we don’t want him to be on his own the healers have said that its going to be tough going the first few weeks. I should be able to make the second if not third appointment but a friendly face”  
“of course, Molly I’ll go with Fred, I’m going to go and take Fred his cup of tea and read for a while give me a shout if you want a hand with dinner” with that Hermione skipped back upstairs. 

Molly thought to herself that she had not seen Hermione skip since at least before the quidditch world cup. She had seemed like the whole world had been resting on her shoulders for so many years and seeing a spring in the girls step really bought a smile to her face. 

Hermione rushed upstairs trying not to spill hers and Fred’s cups of tea. She made her way into the bedroom and put Fred’s cup on his bedside table. “Right Granger, what shall we do today? It has got to be in this room because I evidently am unable to go anywhere at the moment”.   
“well Fred I was going to read but I could always read to you if that’s okay” she said with a blush   
“that’s brilliant Granger as longs as it’s not from a textbook”   
“How about a muggle children’s book, I can actually think of one that reminds me of you and George, it’s a bit wacky and has some amazing inventions in it”   
“okay Granger, that sounds good to me”   
Hermione used her wand to summon her copy of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Fred lifted his arm and she jumped onto the bed allowing him to wrap his arm around her shoulder and began reading. As Hermione got into the story Fred insisted on reading Willy Wonka’s lines in a dramatic fashion himself and declared to Hermione that he was going to get himself a purple suit jacket and green trousers. Hermione and Fred’s afternoon passed in a blur and soon everyone was returning home from work. 

Arthur arrived back to the burrow first and was greeted by a smiling Molly. “Where are Hermione and Fred?” Arthur asked used to at least seeing Hermione in the kitchen with Molly.   
“She’s upstairs with Fred she offered to help with dinner but when I went upstairs, they were laughing that much I didn’t have the heart to disturb them. I haven’t heard either of them laugh that much in such a long time. When you go and change out of your robes, you’ll hear them its kept a smile on my face all afternoon. And she’s agreed to go to the first physio appointment with him.”  
Arthur nodded at Molly and then made his way upstairs and smiled at the belly laughter he could hear coming from Hermione and Fred in the other room. Making his way downstairs the rest of the family were trickling in through the floo and the front door. Arthur decided to go and interrupt the giggling pair. And help to apparate Fred downstairs for tea. Arthur pushed the door to the twin’s room open and could not help but begin chuckling at the two youngsters laughing. Tears were streaming down Hermione’s face and Fred’s shoulders were shaking he was laughing that much.   
“sorry to interrupt the fun you two but everyone’s here for tea. Hermione would you mind helping me apparate Fred downstairs”   
“of course, not Arthur of course I will help” 

Hermione assisted Arthur with helping to side along apparate Fred downstairs to the dinner table and settle him on sofa while George noticing Fred was downstairs went a retrieved Fred’s wheelchair for him. Hermione dropped down onto the sofa next to Fred with a smile. Her stomach dropping in anticipation of the conversation Hermione knew she was going to have to have with Ron. Fred squeezed her hand in his and whispered “you’ve got this Granger you’re a war hero” he smirked at her. She returned the squeeze of his hand and assisted George in lining up his chair so he could get himself into it and wheel his way to the dinner table. Hermione steeled herself and made her way over to Ron. “Ron after dinner can we meet on the back porch. We really need to talk.”   
After Ron looked a bit sad at Hermione’s statement she offered him a small friendly smile and made her way to the table taking her seat next to Fred and with Ginny on her other side Ginny wrapped her arm around Hermione’s shoulder evidently Fred had told her what was going to happen after tea. Hermione smiled at them both and took the hand squeezes of them both ready to face the hard conversation with Ron.


	11. Chapter 11

After enjoying a fantastic evening meal with the Weasleys (the first one she had managed to sit through since the war) Hermione declined pudding and headed for the back porch overlooking the back garden cradling a warm mug of tea in her hands and waited for Ron watching the summer twilight approach and the bats catching the insects. Fred and Ginny had squeezed her arm and shoulder before she left the table giving her the strength she needed for the conversation to come Hermione knew it was going to be tough but like Fred had said she needed to get it over with or it would be more painful on them both the longer the boundaries were unclear. 

Hermione took a deep breath and steeled herself as she heard the back door open and bang shut and the unmistakeable gate of Ron headed towards her, he leaned his hands on the railing and Hermione took one more calming breath before turning to face Ron.   
"Hey, you. How is training going?" she said with a small smile.   
"Good thanks Mione but we both know that's not why you wanted to talk," Ron said defensively unable to stop the tears building up in his eyes   
Hermione's tears began to appear, but she swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed her emotions aside determined to tell Ron what she was feeling. "Ron, you know I love you"   
Ron interrupted "But there is a but isn't there" his tears were falling now   
"Yes, Ron there is. I am so sorry, but I love you as a friend. I think I have mistaken it as romantic love for a long time. The kiss during the battle was because we were both scared of losing each other. And you have got to agree that this is what everyone expects not what we both want. The war has changed us and maybe if we hadn't just had to fight in a war then maybe we would have been able to love each other the way we both deserve. I know how much we have both changed what we have both been through and I don't think we will ever feel the same way we did before we went on the hunt for Horcruxes but I know I will always love you as a best friend and you're going to find the most amazing witch who will love you the way you deserve." Hermione gasped out and finally surrendered to the onslaught of tears she had been fighting.   
Ron had a blotchy face and tears streaming dripping from the end of his nose "Mione a little bit of me will always love you, I think. I always thought we would end up together. But like you've just said I think that's because everyone always thought we would. I had a feeling this was coming and I think I'm more upset that the idea of us is gone because there has never really been an us in the relationship sense. And once again you have shown me why you ended up in Gryffindor, I should have plucked up the courage to have this conversation sooner even but I've been putting it off even though I knew it needed to happen. I've missed my best friend these last few weeks and I need her back. Auror training is kicking my ass and I'm going to need the brightest witch of her age to make sure I study for my exams."  
Hermione let out a watery chuckle "Thanks for being so understanding Ron. I've missed my best friend as well."  
Ron and Hermione smiled at each other before Ron stepped forward and embraced Hermione in a tight hug. The hug reminded her of every hug he had given her before she left platform 9 and ¾ to return to the muggle world. However, she pulled away as being held this close to still freaked her out. Her brain then chose to remind her that it was everyone except Fred. Ron turned and gestured to the door. "come on Mione let's go and get warm".   
Hermione and Ron made their way into the burrow and through to the living room, Fred raised an eyebrow at her when she sat next to him on the sofa and she nodded her head and smiled at him.   
"oh Fred," Mrs. Weasley said bustling into the living room levitating a tray of steaming mugs of hot chocolate which she always insisted on giving to everyone no matter what time of year it was – it was currently June- "dad and I are busy at appointments tomorrow so Hermione has agreed to go to your physio appointment with you. Me or dad will be there for at least your third one on Monday okay"  
Fred looked at Hermione "Mione you really don't need to come with me you know"   
"I'm coming with you silly, a healer who assists your physio is coming over to help apparate you over about ten o'clock"   
Fred just nodded his acceptance but was cross with his mother and father, he did not want the girl he fancied seeing how unable and feeble he was compared to the athletic man he once was. George always aware of his twin's feelings decided he would talk to Fred before he left for the flat that he was now sharing with Angelina and hopefully Fred when he was able to move back. 

After everyone had finished their hot chocolate and retired to bed George helped Bill to get Fred and his wheelchair back upstairs thank god they were wizards George thought. When Bill had left after assisting George in getting Fred settled in bed bill left and George decided it was the right time to discuss how Fred was feeling about his appointment tomorrow.   
"Freddie, I know your cross about mum not telling you before about Hermione coming to the appointment with you but I do think that it will be okay"  
"I know Georgie I'm sure it will I'm just feeling a little insecure I mean you wouldn't want the witch you fancied seeing you struggle and being weak and nothing like the man you used to be"   
"I know Freddie but just think about it. She trusts you when she is most vulnerable and now she is going to be doing the same for you. It's not a bad thing. Now get some rest. Remember they said the first few sessions of physio were going to be hard work and could be quite painful"  
Fred nodded said a quick goodnight to George before falling asleep thinking about Hermione's unburdened laughter earlier in the day when they read together.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoy reading this. it's my first fic in a long while and something my brain just needed to get out. please comment and leave any thoughts you have. -vsegda

Hermione awoke the next morning feeling a lot less anxious than she had done in the days following the war. Finally, the weight of her relationship with Ron had been lifted from her shoulders and they could get back to being best friends. Hermione checked the time on the clock next to her bed in Ginny's room, she looked over and saw that the girls' bed was empty, Hermione smiled to herself that girl needed to be more discreet sneaking out to Harry's room if Mrs. Weasley or any of Ginny's brothers found out they would both be in for a world of trouble. Then Hermione realised that today the house would be surprisingly quite because Mr. Weasley and Percy had left extremely early for meetings and Mrs. Weasley had left at a similar time to start to help with the wards over at Hogwarts and everyone else would be returning to work, George had returned to the flat above the shop ready to start making products for the opening of the shop late last night leaving only Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Harry and Fred at the burrow. Hermione headed to the bathroom for a shower and then decided that she would prepare breakfast for everyone else before helping Fred get ready for his appointment. 

When Hermione stepped off the bottom stair and into the kitchen, she was surprised to see the youngest Weasley sitting at the table cradling a mug of tea with bags under her eyes.   
“Ginny, are you alright?”  
“oh” Ginny jumped with surprise “morning Mione, yeah I’m just tired, sleeping in a single bed with Harry is getting to me that boy takes up so much room and now he’s relaxing enough to sleep he’s like trying to move a rock and I don’t want to wake him and ruin his sleep he needs to be able to concentrate and not be too tired for Auror training.”   
Hermione smiled she couldn’t remember the last time Ginny and herself had talked about a problem so trivial. "Gin, I'm not trying to make you both feel silly but, have you tried enlarging the bed"  
Ginny let out a chuckle and smiled, "Hermione you forget whose room harry is staying in. the charms won't work on the bed in Charlie's room. I think mum must have heard about Charlie's playboy ways and made it, so he at least didn’t have a girl stay the night. It is laughable really because I’m pretty sure if Charlie was going to have sex, he wouldn’t have bought a witch back to a house where his six siblings and parents were.” Hermione and Ginny both laughed at this and Hermione started to prepare breakfast with Ginny standing up to help. When breakfast was ready she asked Ginny to go and wake Harry and Ron while she placed the food under a stasis charm so that it wouldn’t go cold and spoil. 

Harry and Ron appeared downstairs with Ginny tucked under Harry's arm and Ron rolling his eyes at them, Hermione chatted with them about their day ahead as she plated up food for her and Fred. "Guys I'm going to go and eat breakfast with Fred and help him get ready for the hospital. Boys have a good day and Gin get some rest please" she said pressing a kiss to the boy's cheeks and squeezing Ginny’s shoulder.

Hermione knocked on the door to Fred’s room and entered when he answered levitating the food in front of her before sitting next to him on the bed. The two of them chatted whilst they ate their breakfast and when they had finished Hermione left to let Fred change and to take the plates back to the kitchen. When Hermione returned to the kitchen Ginny was washing the dishes, Hermione added hers and Fred's plates to the sink and picked up a towel to dry the dishes settling in companionable silence with Ginny. Both girls often washed the dishes without magic as Mrs. Weasley had made all her children do until they were of age. Hermione was deep in thought chewing on her lip when Ginny interrupted her. "Mione, what are you worrying about? If you keep chewing your bottom lip like that you're going to hurt yourself"  
“I guess I'm a little apprehensive about going with Fred today. I know he would much prefer it to be George, your mum, or your dad going with him."  
“Hermione, that’s just Fred trying to be macho, he knows it's going to hurt like a bitch and he doesn’t want you to see him hurting or in pain. But to be perfectly honest with you I think it will do you both good. He needs a friend to be close to that isn’t George and someone who will remind him that he's going to need his Gryffindor strength to get through this. You are the perfect person for this job. Mum and Dad will worry about every wince he makes and that will make it a longer process for Fred and he’s less likely to tell the other three when the pain is too much. And you will only have to use your prefect's voice to keep him trying his best at it."   
Hermione nodded and smiled at Ginny “been thinking a lot about this haven’t you Gin”   
Ginny laughed "I had plenty of time last night and I know you and Fred. Until after Malfoy manor you weren’t that close and you will both be worrying about spending this time with each other”   
"Yeah, I guess your right Gin I'm going to apparate him downstairs and wait for the medi-witch now. are you going to get some rest?” Hermione said heading upstairs with ginny following her   
"yeah, thanks Mione I'm going to take the time to have a relaxing bath you know I've always struggled to do that with the house being so busy and Fred and George made me some wonder witch products for my birthday. Now I’ve got the time today I think I'm going to use the new conditioning mask on my hair.”   
“that sounds amazing Gin go and relax I will see you when I get back” Hermione and ginny hugged and parted ways on the landing. 

After apparating Fred and his wheelchair to the front room, Hermione and Fred only had to wait a few minutes for the medi-witch to arrive and take them both through the floo network along with Fred’s chair to the waiting room.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the confusion and mix up with the order of the chapters this should be fixed now - Vsegda

When Hermione and Fred flooed through to St Mungo’s the Medi-witch went and checked Fred in and then told them that his healer would be along soon. Within a few minutes a young witch wearing healer robes approached them, Hermione noted that she was extremely pretty and slender. "Good morning Mr. Weasley, my name is Ellie. I will be the healer helping you through your physio and aftercare. Should we head to the exam room?" Ellie said with a blinding smile on her face.   
Hermione stood and pushed Fred’s wheelchair down the corridor following Ellie.

When they had entered the exam room Ellie summoned Fred's medical file and sat in a chair behind the desk in front of Fred, she had yet to greet or even acknowledge Hermione. Ellie was about to continue talking to Fred when Hermione cleared her throat. “oh I am ever so sorry dear. Are you staying for Mr. Weasley's appointment?”  
“yes, is that okay”  
“of course that’s okay it will be quite boring though, do you want to go and get a coffee or wait outside?”  
“no thanks Ellie, I'm sure I will be fine. Fred, am I okay to stay?" Hermione said a little too sweetly for her own liking.   
“Mione, please stay.” Fred had started to panic as soon as they arrived at the hospital about Hermione seeing him weak and in pain but at the thought of the pain and the memories of the wall collapsing that it may bring back Fred didn’t want to be on his own.   
"Okay, so now that's settled Mr. Weasley I'm going to assist you to stand. You are going to have to remove your trousers so that I can get a look at the damage, I will then help you up onto the bed. Then we are going to start with some simple muscle-building stretches that you will need to do before we even think about getting you walking. Some of these you will need help with and after you've done them you will be in pain I will give you some pain potion that you can rub on your legs and then I will show your lovely girlfriend how best to help with this as the massage can help it to reach the deeper parts of the muscles and for them to relax quicker. Is that okay?”  
Fred went bright red, “erm that’s fine, Mione is not my girlfriend though. Mione sorry you're going to see me in my pants and rub my legs. When we get home feel free to show George or dad how to do it then you won't have to.” Hermione could tell how bothered he was as his smile didn’t reach his eyes.  
“Fred I agreed to help you and I've seen you in swim shorts it's not that different. Come on stop worrying."   
Fred nodded and then proceeded to wheel himself over to the table where Ellie was waiting to help Fred stand. 

When Fred had stood and removed his trousers Ellie assisted him onto the bed and then instructed him to lie back on the bed. Hermione then noticed the bruising and magical damage that had been done to Fred’s legs, schooling her face and stepping up beside Fred's head she made eye contact with him. "I know it's a mess," Fred said taking a deep breath the lump in his throat making him swallow before continuing. "even mums not seen how bad it is, they said that some of the curse that hit the wall kind of absorbed into it when it hit and when it all landed on me bits of the dark magic lingered. My chest and back are just as bad but they don't hurt as bad"  
Hermione grabbed his hand, rolled her sleeve back, and proceeded to rub his fingers over her scarred arm reminding him it was there. "We're all a bit damaged after everything aren’t we?” Fred gripped her hand tightly as Ellie began moving her hands down his legs and examining the damage to his legs. 

"well, Mr. Weasley it looks like there isn't too much damage to the muscles and ligaments. Meaning that we can get you up and walking fast. However the dark magic will make it harder and your exercises, standing, and walking are going to take a lot of focus and will cause pain as the dark magic until it leeches out and tries to stop you from making progress. This pain is going to last a while and be worse on the days you have and just after you have physio, these are the days that your going to need the pain potion massaged in okay.” Fred nodded he knew it was going to be hard but that had not stopped him before. “okay Mr. Weasley, let's get this started, shall we. I'm going to stretch your legs out start manipulation of the muscles and ligaments. After I've got you beginning to loosen up I will show your friend how to help you do the stretches and then how to massage the pain potion in for when it starts to hurt.”   
Fred nodded again “can you please call me Fred, I keep looking around for my dad when you call me Mr. Weasley"  
Ellie laughed “of course I can. Fred am I okay to start this is going to hurt, Hermione may need to keep your shoulders flat if it hurts to much squeeze your hands together or squeeze Hermione’s hands for me when it starts to hurt I need for you not to tense your muscles against me too much okay”  
Fred nodded again and gritted his teeth Hermione offered him her other hand as she was still clutching the one closest to him. 

By the time Ellie had stretched Fred's muscles out and shown Hermione how to do it and how to massage the pain potion so that it will stop the dark magic that is clinging to Fred's wounds ruining the work, they had done today Fred was soaked with sweat and exhausted. Ellie helped him get his trousers back on and he flopped into the wheelchair. Ellie had given Hermione a small piece of material with runes on it that meant that she could side along apparate Fred home and the wheelchair would stay with them as they went as long as Fred was wearing a matching piece of the material which he had tied around his wrist when they had told him how it worked. Hermione squeezed his shoulder and maintained contact "come on then Fred, let's get you home. Thanks, Ellie, we will see you on Monday” Hermione said Before apparating them both back to the burrow.


	14. Chapter 14

When Fred and Hermione appeared back at the burrow they were back in their landing, before Hermione could speak Fred spoke “Mione can I ask you one more thing please I don’t want to embarrass you but could you please help me into the shower I haven’t had a proper one since all this happened I've been cleansing with spells and George has helped me into the bath but it's too much hard work to get me back out again even with Bills help and well it's mortifying and god I can't stop rambling” Fred said coming to a stop   
“Fred of course I will help you into the shower just keep your pants on until I’m outside of the bathroom please” she laughed   
“thank god you agreed no cleansing charm is going to work on me the amount I've sweat today” his usual grin back in place but not quite stopping the exhaustion showing in his eyes.   
Hermione went to let herself into the bathroom finding it locked   
“Gin are you in there?” she said with a knock hearing water sloshing about   
“shit yeah are you and Fred back god I fell asleep. I will be out in a min let me grab a towel. 

Fred and Hermione waited, Ginny exited the bathroom wrapped in a towel and one wrapped around her long hair. "ahhh Gin get some clothes on I didn't need to see you nearly naked” Fred shouted covering his eyes and laughing.   
“well I didn’t expect you perves to be waiting on the landing did I.” Ginny laughed flicking her middle finger at Fred and slamming her bedroom door behind her   
Hermione and Fred laughed as Hermione wheeled Fred into the small bathroom. “Mione, can you go and get me some clean pants and pajamas please?”   
When Hermione returned with Fred's pajamas and underwear she found a red-cheeked Fred sat in just his pants in his wheelchair. Hermione smiled at him and tried not to let her eyes scan his almost naked body. "right Fred how are we doing this" she said determined to help and not give in to her brain's urges to scan his still muscled from quidditch form.   
“I was thinking if you turn the shower on and get it running help me onto the side of the bath and to swing my legs over the side of the bath you can leave then and I can pull myself up on the pipes and remove my pants, have my shower and wrap myself in my towel and then shout you to help me get my clothes part way on and then I'm sure I can do the rest from there and remember I can always wait for George or Bill or Dad.”   
“Fred I’m okay honestly, I want to help and I will try and not look at anything while I'm helping I promise”   
“Thanks, Mione but you know the only reason you are avoiding looking at me naked is that once you get a look at me you won't be able to control yourself” Fred laughed and through a comical wink at Hermione as she lent past him and switched on the shower.   
"Weasley get your mind out of the gutter else I will turn the shower to cold" she laughed and smiled back at him.   
"you would never do that to me a poor war-wounded wizard” Fred poked his bottom lip out and the two of them really began to laugh. Hermione assisted Fred to stand and helped him sit and swing his legs over the side of the tub. Seeing Fred twist in this way really highlighted his toned and defined stomach, Hermione swallowed, she needed to stop thinking about Fred in this way.   
"right, stick your hand out and check the temperature and I will leave you to vanish your pants and enjoy your shower. If your legs get tired sit-down and if you need me for anything else shout I will be out on the landing.” Hermione placed her hand on Fred’s shoulder Fred reached up and covered Hermione’s hand with his own and squeezed it   
“Thanks, Mione, I do really appreciate it you know"   
"I know Fred and I know that you would do the same for me. now, get on with it Weasley". 

Hermione shut the door behind her and leaned against the wall outside the bathroom trying to banish the thought of what Fred’s muscled body beneath the streaming water would look like. She really needed to stop thinking about him like that, there was no way Fred would ever think about his little brother's friend in that way the witches he always flirted with and dated at school were outgoing, athletic, and funny. Hermione thought to herself, I'm none of those things. 

Hermione heard a huge bang and a lot of swear words coming from the bathroom, she lurched into action threw the bathroom door wide open, and ran towards Fred who was muttering   
“shit, shit, shit, bloody fuck, shit”   
“Fred, I'm coming don’t move”  
“mione stay there I'm fine I've just slipped and” he let out a long breath “fuck I'm not okay I'm on the shower floor and there is no way I'm ever going to get back up without help.”   
“right well I'm going to move the shower curtain” he must have closed it when he stood up she thought to herself “I'm going to pass you a towel to cover yourself with and then I'm going to take my shoes off and step in to help you get up.”  
“okay poke your hand through with the towel and I will tell you when I'm covered," Fred thought, this was just his bloody luck he should have at least waited for George to be home. Hermione passed him a towel through the curtain, and he covered himself up.   
“right I’m decent”   
Hermione removed her shoes, threw back the shower curtain, and stepped in smiling at Fred hoping to help him not feel so helpless.   
"come on Fred, let's get you up Hermione said bending her knees and offering him her hands. "when you start to stand up move your weight so you can twist yourself round to sit on the side of the bath okay" Hermione instructed Fred in her problem-solving way. Fred nodded and began to move his weight so that she could help him stand up.   
“Hermione I’m going to try and twist now is that okay” Hermione nodded focusing on keeping Fred's balance steady. As Fred began to turn his body both Hermione and himself realised where they had gone wrong, the bath was still too slippery and before either of them could correct their movements Fred had begun turning and falling at the same time pulling Hermione beneath him as they both shouted out loud. Fred automatically tried to catch himself and protect Hermione's head from hitting the bottom of the bath. When they both landed faces close together they realised that they were stuck and the shower was still running, soaking them with a stream of warm water, Fred’s broad shoulders protecting Hermione’s face from the stream.  
“fuck” they said in unison before shouting for Ginny who was the only other person in the house. 

"what the bloody hell are you two shouting about," ginny said stepping from her room toweling her long hair dry, seeing Fred's wheelchair in the bathroom ginny stepped into the room. Hermione and Fred heard her footsteps approaching.   
“Gin don’t be alarmed but we’ve had a bit of an accident and were stuck, Freds slipped, and I've ended up stuck trying to help him up, the bath was so slippy we've both ended up falling and were kind of tangled up and …”   
"what Hermione is trying to say is we're really stuck and I'm stark bollock naked and getting cold. Floo to the flat and get George and I think you might have to Patronus Bill as well I'm sure how we've landed has at least dislocated Hermione's shoulder and I think when I've landed I might have broken her wrist."  
“shit okay, Fred I'm going to throw a towel over you and switch the shower off and then I will be gone and be straight back. "Freddie," Ginny said quietly, "I think this is my fault, I forgot to rinse the bath after using that new wonder witch conditioner you gave me for my birthday"   
“oh, shit Gin it even says on the bottle to clean the bath with magic after its no wonder it was like a bloody ice rink. I forgive you just go and get George and Patronus bill I don’t need the whole family seeing my naked arse”   
Ginny ran from the bathroom and straight to the floo. 

When she stepped out of the floo in the flat she headed towards the stairs that led to the twin's workshop and was met by George on the stairs.   
“I need you back at the flat, Fred had an accident, we need bill as well Hermione hurt as well”   
George sent a Patronus to bill and without waiting for Ginny stepped through the floo eager to get to his injured twin. Ginny followed George through and when they entered the living room grabbed George by the arm and led him to the bathroom.   
“come on they’re in the shower”   
“the shower” George spat out stopping Ginny on the stairs “ what the hell were they doing in the shower together”   
“nothing Georgie, I forgot to rinse the bath after using my new wonder witch conditioner and Fred must have gone for a shower cause they had just got back from his physio appointment, he slipped and mione went to help him and shes stuck under a naked Fred. Shit George she is never going to forgive me.   
George burst out laughing “this is priceless, Fred is stuck naked on top of the witch he fancies”   
Ginny smiled beginning to see the funny side.   
“now you know where they are I'm going to wait for Bill in the living room"  
"George" Bills voice came from by the back door  
“up here Bill”  
Bill jogged up the stairs to Ginny and George at the top of the stairs.   
“where’s Fred? What's happened?”  
“he’s in the bathroom. He slipped in the shower and mione tried to help him up and he thinks she broken her wrist and dislocated her shoulder when they landed”  
“they're in the shower together, hmm wouldn't have seen the two as a couple. Mind you he is the only one she trusts enough to let in after everything. They would be cute together …”   
"bill stop being a gossip" Ginny snapped, "you're the worst, my best friend is hurt and stuck under my naked brother and they're both hurt come on we need to get them up," she said dragging both her brothers through the bathroom door. 

While Ginny was gone looking for help Fred attempted to move his weight off Hermione.   
“Fred lie still I don’t want you to hurt yourself further. Wait until Bill can tell you if you’ve broken anything.”  
"okay. Mione I am so sorry about this" Fred said tears beginning to gather in his eyes. Everything today had just been a bit much and his frayed emotions couldn’t take much more. Hermione saw the tears gathering and moved her free arm so that her hand could cradle his face.  
"shh, Fred. Shh, everything is okay. Think about if this was anyone else and you didn't feel like you'd been hit by the night bus how funny with would be. What if this was Ron and a witch or George and Angelina and you had to come to the rescue. You would be wearing that mischievous Weasley grin and poking fun at him. wouldn’t you?” Fred nodded.   
“I'm sorry Mione, I'm so tired and achy and I just wanted a shower and to go to bed, and now your hurt and were stuck and I'm cold”   
"Fred come on," Hermione said moving her hand to stroke the fringe off his forehead "We're fine, I will be fine. You did so well today I'm so proud of how strong you were. You were a true Gryffindor today and we're not going to let that little bit of dark magic win are we?”  
Fred nodded “thanks for today mione, I don’t think I could have done it without you”  
"anytime Fred." Hermione smiled up at him. Fred rested his forehead on Hermione's and plucked up his Gryffindor courage. He began to lean his lips down to meet Hermione's when they heard George Bill and ginny enter the bathroom. Internally Fred groaned. Hermione couldn’t believe it, Fred Weasley had just nearly kissed her, and she had wanted nothing more than to get lost in his brown eyes and feel his lips on hers.


	15. Chapter 15

Bill Weasley stepped up to the bathtub in the family bathroom at his childhood home. Looking down at his younger brother whose cheeks were reddening.   
“well Freddie I don’t think I've seen your arse since I changed your nappies”   
George stepped up behind Bill slapping a hand on his shoulder, “your lucky mate I've had to see his scrawny ass almost every day, it's kind of unavoidable when you share a room"  
Fred groaned and buried his head against Hermione’s uninjured shoulder. 

Hermione glared at Bill and George. "if you’ve quite had enough of teasing your brother I'm lying here soaked through to the skin, freezing and injured, and if you don't get him out soon I'm going to start panicking. I can't breathe and god what if Fred is really really hurt more than before and … and” this shocked the other Weasleys into action whilst Fred tried to get her to follow his breathing which helped a little. Bill waved his wand over Fred. "Right Freddie nothing broken, sprained, or injured other than what was before. Gin get in here Fred looks knackered. Bring the chair in and then close your eyes while me and George help him into the wheelchair. Hermione, you might want to close your eyes unless you want to find yourself face to face with our Freddies basilisk.” Fred went even redder but that tipped Hermione over the edge and she couldn’t stop laughing. Ginny cast a cleaning charm over the bath to prevent Hermione from being stuck under all three Weasley’s in attendance. Fred was glad she had begun to laugh as he had begun to worry about her slipping into a panic attack. Hermione and ginny dutifully closed their eyes. Bill stepped into the bath and George leaned over. “Fred I'm sorry if we hurt you were going to lift you out under your arms okay”   
"on my count of three," Bill said “ one, two, three" and the brother lifted Fred up and onto the edge of the bath George lifting the top half into the wheelchair and Bill lifting his legs over the side of the bath before he summoned a large bath sheet for his brother. 

Bill bent down touching Hermione on her uninjured shoulder. “Hermione, you can open your eyes now. His scrawny arse is covered up. Let's get you out of this tub and fix you up yeah”  
Hermione smiled at Bill, she had always been intimidated by his cool appearance and after Greybacks attack he really looked like a wizard you should not mess with but underneath that shell, she had discovered a loyal friend and adoptive big brother whom she treasured after his support, help, and advice after everything that had happened at Malfoy Manor.   
“wrap your good arm around my neck and I'm going to scoop you up and place yourself on your feet outside of the bathtub okay” Hermione nodded and did as he instructed and soon she was standing on the bathroom floor looking at the three other Weasleys. Being under the stream of water from the shower had made her baggy clothes cling to her skinny form. Bill could see that her now small stature had been noticed by Ginny and George who were trying not to look at Hermione's now frail body. Bill wordlessly cast a drying charm and Hermione offered him a thankful smile.   
"George you had better go and get Fred into his pajamas in his room he is hardly keeping his eyes open." Hermione instructed. "he had a tough day at physio today. Make sure he takes the potion in the blue bottle and tell him to send for me when the pain starts and I can come and do the massage that the healer taught me. If he doesn’t have this dine it will cause a setback in his treatment so please remind him.”  
George nodded and wheeled Fred though to their old room. Helping him dress and settling him in bed before reminding him of everything Hermione had said and handing him his potion. As soon as George stood up to leave the room Fred was asleep. 

Bill led Hermione back to hers and Ginny's shared room before healing her shoulder and wrist. Hermione then changed and went downstairs to start dinner for when the rest of the Weasley family arrived home. Fred slept through dinner and hadn’t woken up when Hermione headed to bed. She was worried about Fred's pain potion being massaged in but he clearly wasn’t in too much pain if he hadn’t woken up. Hermione decided to head to bed and she would go and see Fred in the morning if he hadn’t reached out to her before then.   
At around three in the morning, Fred awoke to burning pains in his legs. And the burning kept getting worse, he looked to his clock and decided he would suffer in silence tonight as he didn’t want to wake Hermione as she had only just begun sleeping a little better. Fred gritted his teeth and tried to beat the pain but it was no use, within ten minutes he had begun panting with pain and before the next ten minutes were through he was writhing in agony and before half an hour was through he began thrashing around and screaming. Mrs. Weasley heard Fred's shouts when she was heading back to bed from making a cup of tea. all the complex spell work involved with Hogwarts wards was keeping her mind racing no matter how tiring and magically draining her day had been. She rushed into Fred’s room flinging the door open and putting her tea down on his bedside table so forcefully that it sloshed out of her mug. Fred was in so much pain he didn’t notice his mum until she placed both her hands on either side of his face holding his head still and forcing him to open his eyes and look at her. "shh Freddie what's wrong? shh."  
Fred couldn’t even string a sentence together he just bit out a word “mione, Mione”

Mrs. Weasley rushed from the room and straight into the girls room finding two wands pointing at her but not bothering “Hermione somethings wrong with Fred come quick”  
Hermione hopped out of bed and ran past Mrs. Weasley to Fred's side. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny followed. Hermione threw back Fred's covers as Mrs. Weasley and Ginny stood at the end of the bed watching Hermione work. Mrs. Weasley was glad that Hermione seemed to know exactly what to do. She waved her wand and vanished his trousers surprising both the other witches she then grabbed the potion off the bedside table and began working her way from the top of Fred's thighs to the soles of his feet in the methodical way Ellie had taught her. Fred was still screaming until Hermione reached the bottom of his first leg. When his screams turned to whimpers, Hermione was shushing and whispering calming things to Fred while she worked. Ginny clung to her mum's arm as tears ran down Mrs. Weasley's face as she watched Hermione tending to her son. 

When Hermione began again working on his first leg ginny noticed the tears falling from her friend's eyes and decided that this was private, Fred wouldn’t want her and his mum seeing her in pain and Hermione was trying so hard to be strong while Fred was in pain. Ginny whispered to her mother “mum come on let's get to bed Mione will look after him” her mother nodded and allowed her youngest child to lead her out of the room and to shut the door behind them. 

Hermione continued to work on Fred's legs until his breathing had returned to normal. By that time the pain had lessened and become manageable. He was watching Hermione work on his legs in the moonlight until he realised she was crying. “mione” he whispered “are you okay”   
Hermione sniffled “I … I … will … be I was just so worried about you I knew you would be in pain but I didn’t think it would be that bad. It was so hard to watch and seeing you writing in pain like that it looked like you were being crucioed and well you know how I feel about that”  
"Hey, hey now come up here" he tugged her arm until she settled by his side lay down, how he had held her when she had needed him to.   
“I'm sorry I worried you. I didn’t think it would get that bad and I didn't want to wake you. It's my fault and I'm sorry”  
“I'm sorry I panicked”  
“there's no need to apologise”  
“well, I don't think you need to apologise either" setting her jaw in the stubborn way that made Fred smile tiredly. 

After a minute or two of being silent, Fred was just plucking up the courage to ask her to stay when Hermione whispered tiredly “Fred, is it okay if I stay I don’t think I can sleep alone after that”  
“of course sweetheart, you don’t need to go anywhere. Snuggle down and close your eyes you safe here. I’ve got you” Fred panicked internally, he’d just called her sweetheart. He was waiting for her to say something about it but Hermione just pulled the covers over them both snuggled down with a happy sigh. Hermione's last thought as she snuggled into Fred was that she liked it when he called her sweetheart it made her chest swell with warmth. Perhaps Fred Weasley could like her as more than his little brother's friend. She then told herself to not get her hopes up he was probably just being friendly.

When Fred awoke the next morning it was to a face full of sweet-smelling bushy hair and a small body tangled up with his. If the bushy hair hadn’t given who it was away the chocolatey sleepy eyes that were watching him would have. “morning sweetheart” Fred said hoping she didn’t pull him up on the use of the term of endearment “morning. How are you feeling this morning Fred.”   
“a lot better a bit achy but a lot better. Thanks for coming last night and not getting cross with me I didn’t mean to let it get that bad I promise. I would be in a mess if it wasn’t for you granger”   
Hermione sighed “well I would be in a mess if it wasn’t for you as well Weasley.”  
“well I’m here for you and you’re here for me I suppose”   
Hermione smiled at Fred and then got a sad look in her eye. "what are you thinking of Hermione?”  
Hermione smiled up at him “promise you won't laugh then because what I'm going to say is cheesy.” Fred nodded “okay I promise”   
“my dad used to love this American country band called Lady A. I used to love singing along to their songs with him in the car and one of their songs just popped into my head because it is about helping each other through tough times. It was one of my dad and I's favorite songs to sing together."  
Fred smiled at her "would you sing me a small bit, please. I would love to hear a little of it."  
"Promise you won't laugh at me then. I'm not very good at singing.”  
Fred smiled “I promise and I'm sure you can sing beautifully.”   
Hermione laughed “ yeah whatever. But I will sing for you quietly okay?" Hermione began to sing.   
"The storms of life are gonna blow through baby, you know we've all seen a cloud or two. But I meant it when I promised I would have your back through skies black or blue. Do you remember when we swore forever till the sweet or the bitter end? Well, this is what they mean when they say you got the real thing in a friend. With arms open wide I'll be your umbrella when you just can't stand the rain. I'm there by your side I wanna be your shelter when you just can't stand the rain.” 

Fred was enamored, even more so now she had just sung for him. “Hermione that was beautiful. The words are beautiful.” Fred was leaning down towards her and was looking in her eyes to see if she was happy for him to kiss her when the door to his room banged open.   
“moooorning" shouted George backing into the room with trays of food in his hands.  
For Merlin's sake, Fred thought his twin had got impeccable timing. Hermione would have fallen out of Fred's bed if she hadn’t been so wrapped up in his arms.   
"Morning George," Hermione said trying to compose herself. Had she just been about to kiss Fred Weasley again?


	16. Chapter 16

George sat down on the bed and offered them both a tray without even mentioning the fact that it should have been strange to see Hermione Granger in his twin’s bed. Fred and Hermione sat up and took the offered trays from George.   
“I popped over to see how you were doing before starting to work on the product stock. Freddie, mum said you had a rough night.” George’s eyes were full of concern.   
Fred swallowed the mouthful of breakfast before answering George.   
"Yeah, I did Georgie but it's nothing to worry about. It was my own fault. I didn’t want to wake Hermione the pain woke me up in the middle of the night. I waited until the pain became unbearable before mum went and got Mione for me.” Fred turned to Hermione and smiled tenderly at her, she blushed and smiled back. This exchange didn’t go unnoticed by George.   
“But,” Hermione turned to George “we’re not going to let it get that bad again. Are we Freddie?”  
Hermione said sternly before looking at Fred with a look that suggested he should do as he was told.   
“Nope Mione. I promise if the pain starts even just a small amount, I will call for you.”   
Fred and Hermione beamed at each other. George coughed returning their attention to him.   
“So what are you two going to be doing today then?”   
“I am going to help Fred with his physio. It has got to be done every day so he doesn’t regress.” Hermione cheerfully explained to George. “ then I think I might read for a bit and I might even treat myself to a long soak in the bath.”   
Fred began to laugh “Mione please promise me you won't do a Ginny and leave bloody magical conditioner in the bath though. I don’t need anymore magical shower accidents.”   
George laughed and declared “right well I will see you later. Send me a Patronus if you need help getting in the shower again. I’m only making products and getting the stock back up. I'm not opening fully for business until your back on your feet okay.”  
Fred went to protest.   
“shut up Freddie and don’t even start I need you to be better before we open the shop. I'm going to start owl orders up in the next week or two. Once I have the stock ready. With all the repairs and money for ingredients, we can't afford to pay anyone to help just yet. Angie has been helping but she starts back at work at the prophet today. Lee has been popping in and out and Verity has got a job at Flourish and Blotts. Not that we could afford to pay her. Anyway don’t worry Freddie, we will get everything back up and running. I just need you up and running first okay.”  
Fred nodded. 

When George had left and they heard him shout his goodbyes to the rest of the Weasley family Hermione turned to Fred.   
“I'm going to go and get dressed and then should we do your physio.”  
“Yeah we can do Mione but there is no rush we’ve got all day”   
“well I was just thinking about that actually," Hermione said extracting herself from under Fred's arm and shuffling to the edge of the bed “now we can apparate you and your chair what about it we do your physio, both of us head over to the shop and we can both help George. It will do us both good to be out of the house and if your pain starts we can either come straight back home or I can sort you out while we are there. You still have a bed in the flat don’t you?”  
“yes, Mione I still have a bed in the flat. And that sounds great. I could do with being a little busier I'm struggling with the boredom here at home.”   
"Right well that is solved then. I will go shower and change then I will be back okay."   
"Yep okay, not as if I will be running off anywhere anytime soon," he said with his trademark smirk.   
Hermione stood, as she stood, she realised what she was wearing. In her hurry to get to Fred last night she hadn’t changed and she was wearing her skimpiest muggle pajamas. A top that was baggy and low cut over her shoulders and cleavage and shorts that were high cut and probably showing the bottom of her bum cheeks. Shit, she thought. Then she stood up straighter and threw caution to the wind throwing a cheeky smile over her shoulder she left Fred's room, maybe, she thought as she closed the door, if he kept trying to kiss her then maybe, just maybe he had enjoyed the show. She hurried to Ginny’s room to change. 

As Hermione shut the door Fred let his head fall back against his headboard with a clunk. Fuck. He thought it was a good job that he had not noticed what Hermione was wearing last night. Fred could feel his arousal beginning to show. Now he knew what she had been wearing, or the lack of what she had been wearing when she had been wrapped around him under his covers, he couldn’t get his body's reactions under control. He closed his eyes, he needed to get rid of his obvious display of arousal before Hermione came back. He began reciting potions ingredients and when he was ten ingredients into the list he finally began to feel himself calm down. 

Hermione had panicked when she went to Ginny’s room to change. She hadn’t got any clothes to wear, she needed to go shopping in muggle London. She had lost so much weight while being on the run that all of the clothes she had left that hadn’t been damaged during the war and being in the run were hanging off her. She needed comfy and stretchy clothes to help Fred with his physio and she couldn’t find any. Ginny walked in Hermione being stressed throwing her clothes out of bags and draws looking for one single pair of workout clothes that she could wear. "Hermione, what the hell are you doing? What have you lost?"  
“I need to go and buy some workout and lounge clothes. I need stretchy clothes to help Fred with his physio and non of my other clothes fit me anymore, I’ve lost so much weight.”  
"right," Ginny said with a determined look on her face, gathering a towel in her hands she shoved Hermione through the bedroom door onto the landing and towards the bathroom. "I'm going to get some clothes from fleur and tomorrow the three of us and Angie if we can get her away from George are going shopping. Okay?” 

Ginny rushed downstairs and knelt in front of the fire, floo calling fleur. Within minutes fleur was stepping through the fire into the living room. Clothes slung over her arm. Fleur was wearing old pain splattered grey sweats and one of Bill's old Gryffindor sweatshirts. Even in casual clothing fleur had an air of elegance and beauty about her. Ginny gestured to the stairs and fleur made her way up to the youngest Weasley's bedroom. Fleur deposited the clothes onto ginny’s bed before turning and hugging her sister-in-law. Ginny and fleur had become closer since the war and Bills attack. When Ginny had learned from Bill how fleur had looked after Hermione, Ron, and Harry after the disaster at Malfoy Manor her admiration and gratefulness towards fleur had grown and the girls were becoming fast friends. 

When Hermione returned to the bedroom wrapped in her towel and her hair wrapped in a towel on the top of her head, fleur and ginny were sipping tea and chatting sat on Ginny’s bed. Fleur smiled at Hermione. “Hermione you are looking better, so much better, if I do say so myself.”   
Hermione smiled. “thank you Fleur I am feeling much better thank you. I still can't eat much and I'm not sleeping the best but I did sleep well last night. I didn’t get a chance to thank you for trying to calm me down the other night. So thank you.”  
“nonsense, you are like my sister I would do anything to help. I’m glad Fred was able to calm you down though. Now to the task in hand. I have bought you plenty of leggings and big jumpers over and Bill has helped me to change the colours and charm them so that they will shrink to fit your curves. I changed them to darker autumn colours that will bring out your eyes and highlight you’re the natural tones of your hair. I didn’t think that the pastel colours that I like to wear would have suited your colouring. Bill made sure there was plenty of Gryffindor red in there as well. Honestly, you Weasley's and wearing house colours." Fleur turned to ginny with a smile as she finished speaking.   
Hermione threw on some underwear. Just plain cotton knickers and a sports bra before turning to fleur who was holding out leggings a tight sports top and a loose top.   
“put these on they should do until we manage to go shopping. When we go tomorrow, we are getting you some nice underwear. You are not on the run with Harry and Ron anymore.” Fleur said looking at Hermione’s plain cotton underwear, “A girl deserves nice underwear.”   
Hermione dressed and smiled at fleur “honestly I cannot wait for new underwear. the last time I wore something that wasn’t cotton and elastic was your wedding.”   
The girls laughed. As Hermione sat down and picked up the mug of tea fleur had produced from the teapot on Ginny's bedside table, Ginny pulled the towel from Hermione's hair and began working her fingers and a comb through the thick curls before pulling it back into an elegant French plait that hung down the center of her back. Finishing her tea and conversation with the two witches and arranging to meet them outside the twin's shop at lunchtime the following day Hermione hugged them both tight. Thanked fleur and headed off to Fred's room. 

About 45 minutes after she had first left Hermione arrived back in Fred’s room. Fred was reading and sat on the top of the covers. He looked up from his book as Hermione spoke, hand on her hips. “you didn’t hurt yourself did you, moving to get on top of the covers?”   
Fred smiled at her concern “don’t worry sweetheart. Mum helped me stand and turn to sit in the chair while she made my bed. I told her what we were thinking and she suggested going straight over to the flat. I have a double bed over there so more room for stretches plus most of my clothes are over there. And George is there so he can help me shower straight after were done with physio, plus you can always show George what he needs to do if you want then you don’t always have to be the one doing my physio with me.” Fred rambled. Seeming to realise he was rambling and blushed bright red. Hermione was trying to kill him. Fred had decided, yes she was definitely trying to kill him, he couldn’t ever remember her wearing clothes like the ones she was wearing today. She was wearing tight leggings similar to what he had seen fleur wear to do yoga and go running in. a tight top that showed her cleavage and a loose sheer floaty top over the top of that a thick cardigan thrown over her forearm. The leggings were a deep Gryffindor red and the tops were black. Hermione's long curls were pulled into a plait down the center of her back.

"Ready to get going, Fred?" Hermione said moving Fred's wheelchair to the side of the bed for him and helping him to transfer.   
"as ready as ever sweetheart," Fred said with a smile handing her the bracelet that linked to his chair for apperation. And with a pop, they were gone.


End file.
